Ink agitator



DeC- 20, 1966 H. R. MASCHINOT 3,292,534

INK AGITATOR Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HowAno E, MASCHINDT,

Dec. 20, `1966 H. R. MAscHlNoT 3,292,534

INK AGITATOR `2 Sheeis-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1965 H INVENTOR Fig. 9 owAszo RMAscmNoT,

United States Patent O 3,292,534 INK AGITATUR Howard R. Maschinot, Erlanger, Ky., assigner to The Printing Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,608 Claims. (Cl. 101-364) As is well known, printing .presses are provided with an ink fountain of generally triangular cross section, one side of which is closed by an ink distributing roll. The fountain is usually of elongated shape, but the specific shape does not constitute a limitation on the invention. The sink substance used is viscous and pasty in nature and sometimes thixotropic. Consequently it has been recognized that a means for periodically stirring or agitatin-g the ink is required.

Ink agitators of various types have been devised and are in use. Some ink agitators have been of complicated construction having agitating means which present .a serious cleaning problem. It is an object of the invention to provide an ink agitating mechanism from which the agitator is readily disconnectible and is of a size and shape to permit easy and rapid cleaning in ink solvent contained in a bucket or the like.

In one form of ink agitator hitherto known a rail is set up along the rear edge of the ink fountain. A threaded shaft is mounted parallel to the rail and a carriage element is movable along the rail. The carriage element yhas means engaging the threaded shaft so that the carriage will #be moved along the length of the fountain when the shaft is rotated. A small electric motor is mounted upon one end of the agitator device for driving the shaft. This motor may be reversible or may have reversible gearing so as to provide for a return movement of the carriage at the end of its traverse in one direction. In other instances a double threaded shaft is provided of such nature as to cause .a return movement of the carriage at the end of each stroke.

In ink agitators of the types last referred to, a rack member may be mounted on the rail. The carriage is designed to support a rotating ink agitator member. The ink agitator member is provided with a gear or train of gears, one of which meshes 'with the teeth of the rack. As a result of this construction the ink agitator member is caused to rotate as the carniage travels along the rail. The agitating portion of the ink agitator memher which extends into the ink in the fountain is usually a plain or fluted conical member. However, the specic agitator member, rotary or not, does not constitute a limitation herein.

As is well known, it is sometimes desirable t-o divide au ink fountain so that different colors can appear in the printed impression. Under these circumstances, the ink fountain is split by dividers or partitions so that inks of `different colors or other .characteristics may be placed separately in the divided compartments of the ink fountain.

It is a basic object of this invention to provide ink :agitator means which can -be used in split fountain printlIt is an object of the invention to provide a mechanism for agitating the ink in split fountain printing where an agitator can be positioned in any of the compartments of .a divided ink fountain, and can be caused continuously to traverse the length of the fountain compartment, and return, irrespective of the actual length of the compartment.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide in a single mechanism a plurality of agitators lwhiich, although driven by the same mechanism, will automatically and ICC continuously traverse the compartments of a divided ink fountain although one -or more of the compartments may have a length substantially greater than another or others.

It is .an object of the invention toimprove the eicienoy 0f ink agitation whether or not 4a split ink fountain is used.

It is an object of the [invention to provide simplified ink agitator devices which lare `adapted to give long and trouble-free service.

These and other objects of the invention which will be set-forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading lthese specifications, are attained by that certain construction 4and arrangement of parts of which `an exemplary embodiment will now be described. Reference is made to the accompanying drawingsA wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial elevation, with certain sectionalized elements, o-f `a carriage mounted upon a rail, .and including agitator means.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the carriage `assembly showing means for stopping the traverse of the carriage -in one direction and for beginning the return stroke.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational View of the carriage and shaft.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a doublethreaded shaft employed in the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the threaded shaft taken along the section line 5 5 of FIG. 4, showing also the means for engaging the threads on the shaft.

FIG. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the mounting of the apparatus at one end of the ink fountain.

FIGURE 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the mounting of the apparatus at that end of the ink fountain opposite the end illustrated in FIGURE 6.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the trip bar.

FIG. 9 is a view showing another form of motor mounting.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a rail 1 in the form of an `angle bar. This har may be made in one piece but is preferably made of two pieces fastened together. A rack 2 is permanently mounted to one of the legs of the rail 1. A double threaded shaft 3 is mounted in bearings 4 and 4' at the end-s of the rail (seeFlG. 4), as later explained. A carriage 5a is slidv.ably mounted on the rail, land au ink agitator element 6 is rotatively mounted on the carriage as will hereinafter be more fully described.

The carriage 5a has a lower portion 8 which is so shaped (-as shown in FIG. 1) 4as to allow room for the shaft 3. A lower surface -9 of the carriage part 8 rides against the linside surface of one of the legs of the rail 1. There is `an extension 10 on the lower part of the carriage which rides against the end portion of the rail 1 as shown; and this extension is provided with a releasable means for holding the carriage to the rail.

While various releasable means may be employed, a simple and effective one 'will be appreciated from a study of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The means is a U-shaped member 11, the opstanding legs of which are pivoted to the extension 10 by means of a pin or pintle 12. The attachment device has an extension 13 which lies beneath the under surface of the lower leg of the rail 1. To hold the attachment means in the position shown, use is made of a wing nut 14 and a stud 14' having a portion engaged with the pintle and a threaded shank engaged by the wing nut. If the wing nut is loosened, the attachment means may be pivoted about the pin i12 to a position in 3 which the extension 13 no longer engages beneath the lower leg of the rail 1.

The lower portion 15 of the carriage has an angularly related part 16 which extends across and rides against the upper edge of the upper leg of the rail 1. This part of the carriage is cut away as at 17 to accommodate the teeth of the rack 2. It also has a downward extension 18 provided with another` attachment means 19, similar lto that hereinabove described. The attachment means 19 has a lateral extension 20 engaging the under surface of the rack, and a Wing nut and stud arrangement 21. It will be understood that upon release of the attachment means 11 and 19 the carriage can be bodily removed in an upward direction from the rail 1.

The carriage has an upper part 22. A gear 23 is mounted in a hollow in the carriage part 22 in such position that its teeth will mesh with the teeth of the rack 2. The gear 23 is shown as mounted on a shaft 24, which is inserted or driven into a bottomed perforation in the carriage part 22.

There is also a mounting 25 on the carriage for the lagitating member. A gear 26 is mounted in a hollow portion of the part 25 in such a position that its teeth will mesh with the teeth of the gear 23. The gear 26 is nonrotatably mounted on a shaft 27 which extends entirely through the part 25, being mounted in bearings 28 therein. Since the portion 25 is designed to be removable from the part 22, it is provided with a dovetailed base 29. This base engages in a groove 30 in the carriage part 25 as best shown in FIG. 2. The groove 30 is dovetailed at the right hand side of that ligure but has a vertical wall at the opposite edge. A spring-pressed wedge shaped element 31 is provided within the groove and is controlled by a pair of wing screws 32. It will be clear from FIG. 2 that when the wing screws are tightened, the portion 25 will be xedly held to the carriage 22, but will be removable therefrom as desired.

A knurled element 33 is attached to one end of the shaft 27 to facilitate positioning of the shaft in such a Way that the teeth of its gear 26 will mesh with the teeth of the gear 23. An ink agitating cone or other agitating means 6a is attached to the other end of the shaft 27. As will be appreciated from FIGS. 6 and 7 the agitator 6a may be a cone shaped element. The sides of this cone shaped element are smooth or uted as may be desired. It will further be understood that the travel of the carriage along kthe rail will result in the rotation of the shaft 27 and its ink agitating member 6a, the shaft being driven from the rack 2 through gears 23 and 26.

The lower carriage part 15 is perforated to receive a shaft 34 disposed at a right angle to the double threaded shaft 3. The shaft 34 carries on one end a member 35 to engage the threads of the threaded shaft 3. The shape of the member 35 will be evident from FIGS. 4 and 5. Being somewhat longer than the diameter of the shaft 34 the member 35 engages in an enlargement 36 of the hole in the lower housing part and prevents axial movement of the shaft in one direction. The other end of the shaft is slotted to receive a member 37 for rocking the shaft. This member prevents axial movement of the shaft in the opposite direction. The extent of the rocking is determined by set screws 38 and 39 threaded in ears 40 and 41 on the lower housing part 15.

The shape of the member 35 is such that upon the rocking of the shaft 34 it can engage either the right hand or the left hand thread of the shaft; but a change of engagement can only be effected at that part of the shaft where the right hand and left hand threads merge, as will best be seen in FIG. 4.

In order to rock the shaft 34, a bar 42 is slidably mounted in a groove in the lower housing part 15. A hole in the bar is connected to a boss on the end of the member 37 by means of a spring 43. End portions of the bar 42 are extended as cylindrical members 44 and are bored to receive plungers 45 and 46 which are urged outwardly by springs 47 and 48.

The sliding bar 42 is detailed in FIG. 8. The bar body is counterbored as at 45a and 46a to receive the Shanks of the pin members 45 and 46. The shanks are provided with milled flats 45b and 46b, the pins 64 and 65 have press fits in the bar 42 and act to prevent complete withdrawal of the pin members 45 and 46.` The springs are again indicated at 47 and 48. The spring 43 acts also to retain the bar member 42 in place in the i groove in the carriage member 22, but it is preferable to provide clips 42a and 42b on the carriage (see FIG. 3) as additional holding means.

The above described construction makes it possible to provide trip or reversing means along the rail 1. These trip means are in the nature of clamps (see FIGS.

2, 7 and 9) and have a body 49. The body has a fini like element 50 to engage the teeth of the rack 2 and an abutment portion 51 lying in the path of the pins 45 t spring 43 urges the member 37 in a direction to rock the shaft 34. The shaft 34 will remain stationary, however, until the member 35 on its lower end reaches an intersection between the right and left hand threads on i At this point the spring 43 aforesaid will I bring about a rocking of the shaft 34; and if the member 35 has previously been engaged with the left hand l the shaft.

thread of the shaft, it will now become engaged with the right hand thread of the shaft 3. During a continuaf tion of the rotation of the shaft in the same direction the carriage will now begin its traverse in the opposite i direction, and will continue that traverse until the opposite pin on the bar 42 engages another trip means axed to the rack 2 or to one of the end supports for the rail 1.

It will now be clear that as many of the carriage means and ink agitating devices as is desired may be mounted on the rail 1. In split fountain printing where dividers (not shown) are used to divide the ink fountain, a separate ink agitating means including a carriage may be mounted as above described for each division of the fountain. By providing and adjusting the reversing` means above described, each of these ink agitating means may be caused to traverse the lengthof its appropriate division of the ink fountain and to maintain the ink therein in a stirred or agitated condition irrespective of the length of the particular fountain division in which it is operating.

Also carriage and ink agitating means may be affixed to the rail and removed therefrom as desired.

When split fountain printing is not being done, a single carriage and ink agitator may be used to traverse the entire length of the fountain, the trip means being adjusted at each end of the fountain. Also, when split fountain printing is not being done, but when printing upon sheets or a roll of paper or other web which is narrower than the full width of the press, dividers may be used in the fountain to confine the ink to such portion of the fountain as is required for the particular job being run; and it is an advantage of this invention that agitation may be accomplished in any portion of the fountain thus partitioned off.

Yet again, the mechanism of the invention may be usefully employed to increase the rate or degree of agitation where split fountain printing is not being done. As many of the carriage and ink agitating means as desired may be located along the shaft 3, and trip means employed to cause each of them to traverse a selected length of the fountain. This results in a more frequent .5 traverse of each fountain portion by agitating means, increasing the frequency of agitation.

Finally, the ink agitating means may be easily removed for cleaning, either by removing the entire carriage or by removing part 25 and the elements in connection therewith upon loosening the thumb screws 32.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an ink fountain is partially shown comprising a slanting lower Wall 54 and an end wall 55 and an ink fountain roller 55a. Ink fountains may take various shapes on different printing presses; but a typical cross sectional shape is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9 and will serve as illustrative. A body of ink 56 is shown in the fountain. In order to mount the mechanism of this invention on the ink fountain, a bracket means 57 is attached to the end wall 55 of the ink fountain. An arm 59 is shown as pivoted to the bracket 57. The adjacent end of -the -rail 1 is mounted to a plate 60 which is adjustably held to the arm 59 by bolts 61 operating in slots in the plate.

The mounting of the rail 1 at the other end of the fountain FIG. 7 is similar and includes a bracket means 57 atiixed to the end wall 55 of the ink fountain, an arm 59 pivoted to the bracket 57', and a plate 60. The plate 60 is adjustably held to the arm 59 by bolts 61 operating in slots in the plate. A motor 68 for driving the shaft 3 may be mounted to the plate 60' by means of another plate 69. The end of the shaft 3 adjacent the plate 60' is provided with a coupling 63 shown in FIG. 4. In this event the motor will be connected to the coupling 63 by a coupling, with or without a train of gears (not shown), but usually built into the motor housing. It will be understood that other types of connection between a motor and the shaft 3 may be employed, such as a chain and sprocket drive, a flexible shaft and the like. It will be appreciated from FIGS. 6 and 7 that the mechanism is tiltable from the positions shown in the figures where the agitating means 6a is in operative position to another position in which the agitating means is withdrawn from the ink fountain.

FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 7, but illustrates another form of motor mounting. Like parts have been given like index numerals. In the structure of FIG. 9, an enlarged arm 62 is pivoted to the bracket 57. The adjacent end of the rail 1 is mounted to the plate 60 which is adjustably held to the enlarged arm 62 by the bolts 61 operating in slots in the plate. The enlarged arm 62 is provided with a number of slots 70 by means of which a motor (not shown), equivalent to the motor 68 in FIG. 7, may be adjustably bolted to the arm 62. The connection between the motor and the shaft 3 may be of any suitable type as described above. Thus it will be understood that in the structure of FIG. 9 the enlarged arm 62 will serve not only to support the plate 60' but also to support the motor.

A cover member 67 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 9) may be attached to the end brackets and may be hingedly positioned so as to cover the carriage, the shaft and the bar.

While the device of this invention has been described in the form of an ink agitator mechanism, it will be understood that it can serve other purposes as well. It can be used for agitating or stirring glues lor other adhesive or coating substances which are to be applied to webs by printing or roller coating, and indeed to the agitation of any substances contained in generally elongated trough-like containers. While for ink agitation a rotating cone as illustrated herein is preferred, other agitating means may be employed which are rotary or nonrotary in character. Blade-like elements may frequently be employed without rotation to agitate, stir or mix liquid or viscous materials being operated upon, and excellent stirring, mixing or agitating results may be obtained by the use of appropriately shaped rotary blade-like elements having holes in them.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of it.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property for privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An agitator mechanism comprising a rail, a doublethreaded .shaft mounted for rotation with respect to said rail, a carriage slidably mounted on said rail and detachable therefrom, a rocking shaft journaled in said carriage with its axis radially disposed to said doublethreaded shaft, said rocking shaft having on one end a means for engaging selectively one 4of the threads of said double-threaded shaft, said rocking shaft having on its other end a member for rocking said shaft, a bar slidably mounted on said carriage in parallelism to said rail, resiliently mounted plungers at the ends of said bar, a resilient connection between said bar and the means for rocking said rocking shaft, trip means adjustably mountable with respect to said rail and located to be contacted by said plungers, and a resilient interconnection between said bar and the means for rocking said rocking shaft, the said resilient interconnection being located to pass dead center when the bar is moved longitudinally in either direction, whereby to urge said means for rocking said rocking shaft in a direction tending to cause said means for engaging one of the threads of said double-threaded shaft to engage the other thread thereof, the resilience of said plungers and the said interconnection being such as to permit continued travel of the carriage in the same direction until the thread engaging means encounters a point at which the threads of .said double-threaded shaft merge, whereupon said rocking shaft will lrock rcausing the thread engaging means thereon to engage the other thread of said double-threaded shaft whereby to move said carriage in the opposite direction, and an agitating means attached to said carriage and movable therewith.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said rail is of angular formation, said shaft -being mounted for rotation in the hollow of said rail.

3. The structure claimed in claim 2 wherein a rack is attached to one of the angularly related portions of Said rail and wherein said trip means are adjustably mounted with respect to said rack and have means for engaging the teeth thereof.

4. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein a pinion engaging the teeth of said rack is mounted in said carriage.

5. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said agitating device has a housing detachably mounted on said carriage, said housing containing a gear with teeth meshing with the teeth of the first mounted gear, said gear in said agitating device being mounted upon a shaft extending through said housing and carrying upon one end an agitating means, whereby when said carriage is moved along said shaft said agitating means is caused to rotate.

6. The structure claimed in claim 5 including leaf spring means on said carriage engaging an end of the rocking means on said rocking shaft and tending to maintain it resiliently in either direction past dead center.

7. The structure claimed in claim 6 including adjustable stop means on said carriage for determining the extent of rocking of the said rocking shaft.

8. The structure claimed in claim 7 wherein the carriage Ibody is shaped to ride along spaced portions of the said rail, and wherein releasable means are provided to keep the said carriage in operative relationship with the said rail.

9. The `structure claimed in `claim 8 wherein the upper part of the carriage is provided with a groove dove-tailed as to one inner surface and wherein the housing yfor the agitator device is provided with a projection for entering the said groove, the said projection being dove-tailed, there being adjustable spring pressed means in said 4grooves for fastening said housing to said carriage.

10. In combination in a device of the character described, an angular rail, means for mounting said rail tiltably at each end of ink fountains, a -double-threaded shaft mounted for rotation within theY hollow of said rail, a plurality of carriages slidably mounted on said rail, each carriage having a single means for engaging one or the other of the threads of -said threaded shaft, trip means for causing said thread engagement means to shift from a position to engage one of said threads to a position to engage the other, said trip means being adjustable along the length of said rail, whereby each of said carriages may be caused continuously to traverse selected portions of the length of said rail and shaft, and agitating means mounted upon the respective carriages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

R. W. JENKINS, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,292,534 December 20, 1966 Howard R. Maschinot lt is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, lines l4 to l6, strike out a resilient connection between said bar and the means for rocking said rocking shaft,"; line 46, for the claim reference numeral "l" read 4 lines 46 and 47, for "agitating device" read agitator mechanism line 49, for "the first mounted gear read said pinion line 50, for "agitating device" read housing line 52, for "an" read said line 69, for "for" read on same column 6, line 70, for "device" read mechanism Signed and sealed this 24th day of September 1968. ISEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD I. BRENNER ttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN AGITATOR MECHANISM COMPRISING A RAIL, A DOUBLETHREADED SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID RAIL, A CARRIAGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RAIL AND DETACHABLE THEREFROM, A ROCKING SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID CARRIAGE WITH ITS AXIS RADIALLY DISPOSED TO SAID DOUBLETHREADED SHAFT, SAID ROCKING SHAFT HAVING ON ONE END A MEANS FOR ENGAGING SELECTIVELY ONE OF THE THREADS OF SAID DOUBLE-THREADED SHAFT, SAID ROCKING SHAFT HAVING ON ITS OTHER END A MEMBER FOR ROCKING SAID SHAFT, A BAR SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRAIGE IN PARALLELSISM TO SAID RAIL, RESILIENTLY MOUNTED PLUNGERS AT THE ENDS OF SAID BAR, A RESILIENT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID BAR AND THE MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID ROCKING SHAFT, TRIP MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID RAIL AND LOCATED TO BE CONTACTED BY SAID PLUNGERS, AND A RESILIENT INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID BAR AND THE MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID ROCKING SHAFT, THE SAID RESILIENT INTERCONNECTION BEING LOCATED TO PASS DEAD CENTER WHEN THE BAR IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY IN EITHER DIRECTION, WHEREBY TO URGE SAID MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID ROCKING SHAFT IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO CAUSE SAID MEANS FOR ENGAGING ONE OF THE THREADS OF SAID DOUBLE-THREADED SHAFT TO ENGAGE THE OTHER THREAD THEREOF, THE RESILIENCE OF SAID PLUNGERS AND THE SAID INTERCONNECTION BEING SUCH AS TO PERMIT CONTINUED TRAVEL OF THE CARRIAGE IN THE SAME DIRECTION UNTIL THE THREAD ENGAGING MEANS ENCOUNTERS A POINT AT WHICH THE THREADS OF SAID DOUBLE-THREADED SHAFT MERGE, WHEREUPON SAID ROCKING SHAFT WILL ROCK CAUSING THE THREAD ENGAGING MEANS THEREON TO ENGAGE THE OTHER THREAD OF SAID DOUBLE-THREADED SHAFT WHEREBY TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND AN AGITATING MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID CARRIAGE AND MOVABLE THEREWITH. 